Health & Fitness Tips #5

January 11th, 2010

Don’t fall for Fad Diets at this time of year - your diet must be sustainable and achieveable
Weight loss is always gradual with possibly quicker weight loss appearing in the first few weeks.

Low calorie / Low Fat diets - you have no energy, your body feels lethargic, muscle mass reduces and so does metabolism
High protein / Low carbohydrate - Highly acidic for long periods of time, high in meat and dairy and produces Ketones which again increases acidity levels

Litotrim - high in protein, low in carbohydrates. Composed mainly of shakes and meal replacement foods which is not conducive to a healthy eating plan and again is not sustainable

Herbal Life - Food replacement. The consumer is simply encouraged to purchase products supplied by Herbal Life

You must be realistic and start eating a diet that you can adhere to on a permanent basis

Health & Fitness Tip #4

January 7th, 2010

Key principles for weight loss:

1. Regulate blood sugar level
By levelling our blood sugar, we reduce cravings
This is a key requirement for ALL diets
Eat low GI / GL foods (whole grain bread, brown rice / pasta, etc.)
Take Protein & Carbohydrate together (increases thermal effect of food)
High Fibre
Eat the right fats
2.Eat good fats and avoid bad ones:
Avoid saturated, hydrogenated and Trans Fatty Acids
Eat Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
3.Eliminate hidden allergies
Food Intolerance testing by an established company - York Food Tests

4.Take supplements
We all need additional supplements in addition to a healthy diet because our current diets are deficcient of key vitamins and minerals that are essential to our individual requirements
5.Exercise
This suppresses appetite, increases metabolism and builds muscle and so burns fat

Health & Fitness - Tip #3

January 4th, 2010

Nutrition & fitness go hand in hand - be sure to focus in on the two this new year especially if you want to lose weight.

Here are some basic rules to get you going:

1.Eat a good breakfast - porridge, wholewheat bread, eggs
2.Eat 5 to 6 times a day to keep your blood sugar levels level
3.snack mid morning and mid afternoon on fruit / yogurts
4.Make lunch the main meal of the day which should include protein, vegetables and low GI carbohydrates
5.Try and avoid carbohydrates for dinner and go for meals such as chicken stir fry, omlettes, chicken & salad
6.Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day
7. Take nutritional supplements such as a good multi-vitamin with high vitamin C (1000mg) plus omega 3 oils
8.Watch your portion sizes
9.Eat plenty of fruit (not bananas, dates, figs, raisins, kiwi)

New Years Health & Fitness Tips - No.2

January 2nd, 2010

Resistance training (weights) is essential to weight loss or any good fitness program.
To get started, you need a basic program that covers all body parts, example:

Shoulder Press - shoulders
Bench Press - chest
Lying pullover - lats
Seated row - upper middle of back / lats
squats - front of legs
leg curl on ball - backs of legs

Now that we have identified the exercises, we need to establish the weight - choose a weight that you can do 18 repititions of (the last 5 / 6 should be difficult).

Work through each of the exercises with the appropriate weight and when you have completed all exercises once, repeat another once at first and then progress to repeating twice.

Resistance training will help to build muscle mass and burn fat - your metabolism will be increased.

This program combined with the cardio program from Tip #1 will now start to help you lose calories, increase metabolism, build muscle mass and lose fat.

Daily tips for the new year

January 1st, 2010

January is the worst time to join a gym as it will be a passing phase - you should start making small changes to your lifestyle each week.

Step 1 - start to walk, jog, run or combine all three.
You need to do this three times a week.
The first mistake people make is that they think they need to run / walk as fast as they can to lose weight - WRONG

You need to work within your target heart rate zone - here’s a simple way to calculate this:

Assume you are 45 years old
220 - age = maximum heart rate
220 - 45 = 175bpm, this is your maximum heart rate
Now we need to work at 70% of this
175 x 70% = 122beats per minute

The best way to monitor this is to get yourself a basic cardio watch (about €50) and you will see that you will not have to go that fast to hit your target heart rate.

The key is distance not speed - try and make each session 1hr long, maybe 1hr 20 min if you have the time.

Now off you go and work on this before looking at the next tip.

Battle of the Bulge

December 24th, 2009

Christmas is now upon us and therefore I thought I would give you some tips to help keep off the weight:

1. 1 pint = 280 calories weight gain
2. 60 minutes on the treadmill = 500 calories weight loss
3. For every 4 pints you drink, you need to run for 2 hours!!
4. Carbohydrates such as swede, turnip, potatoes, carrots, etc. will encourage weight gain, especially when you are inactive over the Christmas period
5. If you are going to increase any foods, then increase dark green vegetables and protein such as fish & white meat
6. Stuffing is high in carbohydrate so watch the amounts!!
7. Watch your portion sizes - dont go back for seconds.
8. Most of you will be off on holidays for at least a week, so there’s no excuse in not getting in any fitness:

- 2-3 good runs / jog & walk for upto 1.5hrs
- weight sessions twice for 40 mins per session

No excuses now - if you eat more, then you need to train more.
You have the time because you’re off work so get off your butt and crack on.
Just stop complaining about gaining weight and do something about it.

Most people sya that they put on weight over Christmas: well, its you who decides what to eat and its you who decides not to exercise so come on and break the habit early.

Nutrition and the Festive Season

December 13th, 2009

Just some simple tips for the festive season if you are watching your diet:
Easy on the stuffing - one dessert spoon is ample
Be careful with the portion sizes of root vegetables - carrots, parsnip, turnip, etc.
Potatoes are always one to watch - 2 to 3 small is ample
Go for fruit based desserts, fruit salads, fruit pavlova and avoid those christmas puddings and mince pies
Starters - try prawn cocktail, melon, salmon, etc.

Get some exercise in over the holidays - a few 5k runs and some light resistance work. That’ll help keep off the pounds

The most important one - Watch your portion sizes as most people eat for 2-3 people!!

Change in economy requires change in business strategy

December 6th, 2009

Our economy is changing so fast and therefore, we must change with it or risk being left behind!

We have developed from a centre which offered personal training with one trainer, to an establishment that has four trainers and one that can now offer a wide range of facilities and activities.

Trainers:

Shelley Smith
Tony Murray
Peter Glicner
Martyn Lewis

Courses / Activities:

Personal Training: Cost: €60

Group PT for 3: Cost: €25 each

Group PT for 4: Cost: €20 each

4 week Nutrition & Weight Management Course – weekly Nordic Walking, Group PT and Nutrition Talk / Body fats and weigh-ins:
Cost: €50 / week

4 week Nutrition course – theory, with Body fats and weigh-ins
Cost: €25 / week

4 day Non residential weight loss course – 3 daily meals with snacks, activities, nutrition talks with handouts, use of day spa
Cost: €450

Weekly walking groups – each Saturday morning
Cost: €15

Fit4all now runs Residential Weight Loss Camps at the following venues:
• Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
• Castle Inn Hotel, Dromoland, Co. Clare
• Fit4all, Wexford

Eimear Grace is our resident Holistic therapist who operates on a freelance basis within Fit4all.Eimear can be contacted on 085 1403755

Effective from March 8th, Fit4all is expanding its premises to include a 1000sq.ft group training studio which will be utilized for:

• Classes:
o Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, BLT, Circuits Cost: €12
• Personal training and group training
• Weight loss camps
• Pay as you go fitness workouts Cost: €15

Check out our Blog: http://www.fit4all.ie/blog/
Keep up to date on Face book and Twitter

Weight Loss Camps spreading across Ireland

December 4th, 2009

We are now adding additional venues to our highly successful weight loss camps:

  • Castlebar, County Mayo
  • Dromoland, Co.Clare

Wexford will continue to remain as the centre.

Check out our website for more details: http://www.fit4all.ie/weight_loss/index.html

Weight Loss Camps

August 5th, 2009

Fit4all are starting a new weight loss camp that will not only provide a full weekend to kickstart your new regime, but the course will delive the following also:
1.Exercise routines for home

2.Weight loss advice
3.Follow up calls throughout the month
4.Telephone support in the month
5.Cookery demonstrations
6.Nutrition and fitness packs to take home
7.Weekend follow up sessions for three months
8.regular meetings with the group
9.guaranteed weight loss of 2-3 stone if you follow the regime
10.Full use of day spa facilities whilst at Fit4all weekends
11.Cookery Demonstrations

Mail us back and tell us your thoughts.
Would you be interested?